ABC’s Scandal returns this Thursday (at 10/9c) with the second-to-last episode in the current election-tampering arc, and all indications are that the you-know-what is about to hit the proverbial fan.

Below, series creator Shonda Rhimes previews the climax of Season 2a, teases the final nine-episode plot (and the “pivotal” role Scott Foley plays in it) and sheds light on Olivia’s surprising/disappointing reaction to Fitz’s big D-bomb.

TVLINE | Does this Thursday’s episode pick up right where the last one left off — with Fitz dropping the divorce bombshell on Mellie? It picks up the next morning-ish.

TVLINE | How quickly does Liv get wind of it? Not that quickly. By the time she hears about it she’s got problems of her own. Perhaps it’s not the good news that we’d hope it would be for her.

TVLINE | Should we think for a second that Liv might accept Edison’s proposal? Now that we know about the election rigging and we know the lengths that she has gone to, I think it’s possible that Edison can be an escape route for Olivia. I don’t think anyone believes that Edison is the love of her life. But Edison can feel like a very safe escape route. He’s the guy she’s supposed to want because technically on paper he has all the attributes of a guy that she’s supposed to want.

TVLINE | Do you see Fitz learning that Olivia knew of the tampered election as a big game-changing moment – if and when it comes? Yes.

TVLINE | The current arc ends with Episode 13 on Feb. 7, correct? It ends-ish, because the repercussions [continue]. And then things start again in Episode 14 [on Feb. 14]. Episode 14 is 10 months later than 13.

TVLINE | Can you shed any light on what the final nine-episode arc will be about? Um… no. [Laughs] And not because I’m being coy. But because we’re in the midst of writing it and planning it and figuring it out as we go, which is what we’ve been doing the whole time.

TVLINE | Does Scott Foley figure into it? Scott’s character plays a pivotal role in the final nine-episode arc. And he plays a person who is not what he seems on any level. At any time. Ever.